Bricks and Stones
by TiTivillus
Summary: Back when they were still living in Ireland, Murphy and Connor were students at the local catholic boarding school. It was an All Boys Institute at the edge of town with grey brick walls and an iron fence that practically cut them off from the rest of civilization. Needless to say, the brothers absolutely hated it. Reviews are love :D
1. Chapter 1

**Title:** Bricks and Stones

**Summary:** _Back when they were still living in Ireland, Murphy and Connor were students at the local catholic boarding school. It was an All Boys Institute at the edge of town with grey brick walls and an iron fence that practically cut them off from the rest of civilization. Needless to say, the brothers absolutely hated it._

**Warnings:** Bad language, violence, abuse (in later chapters)

**Diclaimer:** Never owned the characters or anything related to them. Just playing around :)

**General Info: **Takes place before the first movie, High school fic, Gen, hurt/comfort, mystery, no beta- all mistakes are my own :-S

* * *

**C**hapter 1

Back in Ireland, when Murphy and him were about fifteen years old, they spent one year as students in an all-boys boarding school.

It was a prestigious building that lay on the outskirt of town with a huge garden and a fence made of cast iron.

The whole neighbourhood knew the school, but only few people ever got to see it from the inside, as it was private and had ridiculous student fees that nobody could afford.

Unless of course, you were lucky enough to get a scholarship that covered everything.

Connor would never forget the day, their Mom found the letters in the mailbox that offered them a full ride to Saint Clarice...

They were lounging lazily in front of the TV, fighting for the remote when her sudden booming voice echoed through the hallway "Connor! Murphy! Get your asses here right this second"

At their mother's urgent tone, the twins exchanged a quick glance and shrugged, for once puzzled as to what they did to upset her.

But what they found waiting for them in the hallway wasn't anything they had expected.

"Would ye two idjits like to explain ta me what this is?" Anabell asked, waving the two unfolded letters in front of their equally confused looking faces.

Murphy snatched one of them from her hands and started reading. "You've gotta be fuckin' kidding me..." the dark haired twin muttered in awe and received a light jab to the head for his swearing.

"Lord's name" their mother scolded with an angry frown, but neither Connor nor Murphy paid her any attention. "Conn', do you know what this is? They are giving us a full ride to Saint Clarice"

"But why?" Connor asked, buffled by the news. As far as he knew, everything in life always came at a price.

Good things didn't just fall into your lap.

"Our grades probably, who knows? God moves in mysterious ways and all " Murphy reasoned and Connor silently agreed.

It had to have something to do with their grades. There was no other explanation.

Even though their family never made a big deal about it, the twins had always been excellent at school.

So much so that their mother even enrolled them in extra courses on the weekends to improve their language skills.

But they hadn't even applied for another school. Why would a renowned institute like Saint Clarice go looking for new students in some no-name junior high?

Before Connor got the chance to voice his concern, Murphy snorted and crumbled the letter into a ball.

"What the hell do you think you are doing, Murphy Seamus MacManus?!" their Mom burst out angrily, as she snatched the paper out of her sons hands and tried to salvage it.

Murphy snorted disgustedly "This school is full of narcistic assholes, Mom. Spoiled kids of lawyers and doctors and shit...You can't seriously be thinkin about sending us off to live there"

Looking for reassurance, the darker haired twin turned around to stare at his brother, but Connor didn't meet his eyes.

Usually he would have backed Murphy up with any argument he brought forth, but this time he was hesitant. Their Mom was a single parent doing two jobs at the same time to be able to make ends meet.

With two growing teenage boys and their bedridden grandma' to take care of, all their money was going down the drain for medication and food. There was barely enough left to pay for gas or the phone bill.

Murphy had never really grasped the full extent of their financial plight, but Connor knew. He had always known.

So when the darkhaired twin turned around with hopeful eyes and stared at Connor, all he could do in return was shrug his shoulders. "I think it's worth sleepin' over"

* * *

Murphy didn't stop bitching until after dinner, much to both Connor's and their mother's chagrin.

He had always been good at throwing a tantrum and from experience they knew it was easiest to give him some space whenever it happened.

So instead of watching the godzilla marathon they had both been looking forward to, Connor chose to help their Mom with the dishes.

He was just about to put a pile of plates into the cupboard above the sink when his Mom rested a warm hand on the back of his neck.

"Don't think I don't know what ye're plannin' Connor. I can see right through yer act"

Startled by her words, Connor shook his head "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Ye know exactly what I'm talking about... the school? Ye don't wanna go there either, do ye?" Damn this woman for knowing him so well. Sometimes Connor wondered how he could hide things from his own twin but not from his mother.

Trying not to let his pokerface slip, Connor just shrugged his shoulders and wiped the counter clean. "It's a good school, I guess"

"But that's not the reason why you consider going there, is it?"

Jesus. Did she really have to make him say it out loud?Connor threw the rag back into the sink and let out a heavy sigh of frustration. "Look Ma, I know you could use the extra money, okay? This school offers to pay for everything- food, rent, books- it's all included in the scholarship. It would be stupid not to take 'em up on the offer"

Anabell watched her son intently as he explained. When he was finished she nodded her head and wiped her wet hands on her apron. "Ye're meaning well, Connor, and I appreciate it. But I work hard to do right by you boys-"

"I know that, Ma-"

"Just hear me out on this: I don't want ye ta base yer decisions on money. I want ye to do what you think is best fer you and your brother and I will deal with the rest. Do I make meself clear?"

"Crystal" Connor said and threw his Mom a small, but grateful smile, feeling a sudden pang of love and admiration for the woman.

* * *

It took Connor two hours to change Murphy's mind. Two hours to get him to give Saint Clarice a try. That was all.

Afterwords he almost felt bad for how easy it was to manipulate his brother but Connor guessed that came with the territory of being twins.

The next day, they broke the news to their mother over breakfast. All she did was nod, but for a split second, Connor swore he could see a flash of hurt in her eyes.

His own stommach clenched at the thought of moving away from home but he consoled himself with the fact that Saint Clarice was just a few kilometres away from their neighbourhood. They could come visit on the weekends and holidays.

And really, Connor thought, as long as he had Murphy at his side he could deal with everything else.

His brother had always been the one constant in his life.

Even if everything else in Connor's life would fail him, he knew Murphy never would.

So while they sat and ate their eggs and toast in an unusually tense silence, Connor lightly kicked Murphy's shin beneath the table and threw a piece of toast against his head. Which naturally lead to an impromtu food fight and their Mom proclaiming how glad she was that they would leave her soon.

Connor knew she was lying, but for a second everything seemed so normal between them that he was willing to let it slide.

Things were going to change soon enough.

This was only just the beginning.

**TBC...**

* * *

_Hey everyone, thanks for reading! I hope you liked my story. Reviews would totally make my day, so don't be shy! :D _


	2. Chapter 2

**C**hapter 2****

"Are ye sure you packed everything?" their Ma asked for what seemed like the thousandth time.

Connor barely suppressed the urge to roll his eyes. "We're good Ma', promise."

They were standing awkwardly on the sidewalk in front of their house, trying to delay the inevitable goodbye they had all been dreading.

Next to him, Murphy nervously gnawed on his fingernails, head slightly bowed and eyes averted.

His twin seemed abnormally quiet today and even twitchier than usual. It wasn't surprising, considering Murphy had never been good at farewells.

It would probably be best to get it over with quickly, Connor decided. Like ripping off a band-aid.

He let out a slow breath and stepped forward to pull his mother in for a hug.

"Gonna miss ye, Ma", he softly spoke into her hair, closing his eyes when she pressed a kiss against his temple. "Be careful, Connor" she choked and then added as if in afterthought, "Watch that brother of yours, ye hear me?"

Connor only smiled in response, knowing an answer wasn't necessary. Their mother knew that they always had each others' backs.

When Connor stepped back and let Murphy take his place, he discretely ignored the tears clouding his brother's eyes and gave the two of them some privacy.

This whole thing was already starting to feel like a huge mistake and they hadn't even left yet.

Was it possible that Connor had made a rash decision?

Was a school really worth all the heartbreak of ripping their small family apart?

Doubts were starting to cloud his mind.

When Murphy joined him in the car a few minutes later, his eyes were bloodshot and he looked absolutely miserable. Instinctively, Connor reached out to tousle his floppy hair. "Cheer up, Murph. 's not like we'll never see her again..."

But his brother wasn't in the mood to listen.

"Fuckin' shut it, Conn", he said irritably as the car started moving. "It's your fucking fault this is happening. If you hadn't-"

"If I hadn't what?!", he shot back, rising up to the bait. The outburst caught Connor completely off guard. If his brother was itching for a fight that badly, he could have one.

They were two seconds away from a full-fledged quarrel, when their uncle Seamus opened the door on the driver's seat.

"Ye two idjits about done ripping each others' heads off?", he scolded grumpily and cracked the engine.

It was the last thing any of them said before the car started moving, whisking them away from the only home they had ever known. 

* * *

They pulled up to the main entrance of St. Clarice, not even an hour later.

Murphy hesitated to open the door.

He squinted up through the windshield, sceptically observing the massive brick monster looming over them.

It looked much bigger up close than it had from afar and Murphy immediately noticed that the tall windows were boarded over, as if to prevent any light from entering.

The Victorian rooftop was adorned with dark green shingles that stood in an eerie contrast to the sky and contributed to the overall somber atmosphere of the place.

Tendrils of vines and ivy had wound themselves around the side walls of the grey brick mansion, engulfing the entire building in luscious greenery.

With a heavy sigh, Murphy flung the door open and stepped into the chilly autumn breeze.

Their uncle had already taken their duffle bags out of the trunk and was eyeing the low staircase leading up to the front door. "Want me ta walk ye in, boys?"

Connor waved him off immediately. "Nah, I think we're good. Send Mira our love, will ye?"

They exchanged hugs and just like that he was gone too, leaving them to fend for themselves.

Murphy couldn't quell the rising panic inside him at the sight of the retreating car, but his fear subsided quickly when Connor lightly brushed his shoulder, reminding him of his presence.

He wasn't alone in this, Murphy told himself. As long as he had Connor by his side, he could deal with anything.

The argument from before already long forgotten, Murphy forced himself to smile.

"I could really go for a fuckin' smoke right now", he snorted, thinking of their Ma's secret stash in the pantry.

Connor gave him a lopsided grin and pulled two battered looking cigarettes from his coat pocket. At that, Murphy's fake smile was replaced by a genuine one.

Maybe they would be okay after all. 

* * *

Inside St. Clarice was even more magnificent than the outside.

Connor didn't know what he expected, but it sure as hell wasn't this.

The floors inside were beautiful dark hardwood, and Connor's eyes were immediately drawn to the crystal chandeliers hanging from the high ceiling.

Wooden bookshelves were lining the walls, giving the room resemblance to an ancient library.

A dark blue carpet was leading from the front door to what seemed to be some kind of reception.

Exchanging a brief glance with his brother, Connor shrugged and approached the woman sitting behind the desk.

"Can I help you?", she asked before they got the chance to introduce themselves.

Her red hair was pulled back into a neat bun and through her framed glasses, Connor saw instant rejection shining in her eyes. "St. Clarice is a private institution. We usually don't allow visitors to enter the premises unless-"

"I wish..." Murphy snorted grumpily before she could finish. "We're not fucking visitors."

Widening her eyes, the woman gasped in shock, obviously taken aback by Murphy's foul language.

Connor wanted to smack Murphy up the head. Way to make a good first impression...

"What me brother meant, was that we're actually students here. Our name's MacManus. We received a scholarship a few weeks ago", he tried to amend with an easy smile on his lips.

The receptionist's reaction was instantenous.

"Connor and Murphy MacManus?", she asked with a raised eyebrow, obviously stunned by the revelation.

"That's us"

"We've been expecting you. Why don't you take a seat while I get professor O'Brian to show you around."

She didn't wait for them to respond before heading upstairs and vanishing out of their eyesight.

"What an uptight bitch", Murphy murmured and received a slap to the head in response.

"Watch yer fuckin' mouth!", Connor scolded and dropped his duffle on the leather couch next to his brother. He could only hope she hadn't heard them. 

* * *

If anything professor O'Brian was even worse than the receptionist.

Two hours had passed since the middle-aged man had briskly introduced himself as their future English professor and personal tour guide for the day.

Ever since that he had lead them through the narrow and confusing hallways of the school, all the while monotonously babbling on the historic background of St. Clarice and pointing out ridiculously old-fashioned house rules.

If that was the guy's idea of raising enthusiasm, Murphy could already imagine what his English class would be like.

He cringed internally at the thought and started gnawing on his thumbnail.

By the time they reached the dormitory, Murphy's skin was practically crawling with pent up energy and frustration.

He was about ready to rip the guy's head off, when he noticed a large group of uniformed boys staring intently at them from the other side of the room.

They were about his and Connor's age and started murmuring secretively when the twins entered the dorms.

Judging by the condescending looks on their faces, Murphy could already guess what they were talking about.

Looking the way they did, with their messy hair and wearing the shabby hand-me-downs from their cousins, Connor and him could hardly pass for upper social class or someone whose parents were wealthy enough to pay the tuition fee for St. Clarice.

And really, they weren't.

Their family had never tried to hide the fact that they weren't exactly swimming in money.

Their mother had raised them to believe that there were other things,- other values more important than money. Like faith. Or family.

What the fuck did these rich kids know anyway?

Murphy wanted nothing more than to walk over there and wipe the arrogant smiles from their faces, but it probably would be frowned upon to start a brawl within the first three hours of their school initiation. As if reading his mind, Connor shot him a warning glare.

They followed O'Brian to the far end of the room until the bald man suddenly came to a halt, asking them if they had any questions.

Murphy was about to shake his head, thankful the tour was finally over, when he noticed that only one of the beds was freshly made and seemingly unoccupied.

"Where's the second bed?"

"There's only one bed left in this section of the dorms. One of you will have to move to the third floor for the time being."

"No fuckin' way", Murphy snapped angrily, not willing to be separated from his twin. "Are ye fucking kiddin' me?"

"Murph-", Connor tried to intervene, but Murphy wouldn't have it.

"Move someone else!", he demanded of O'Brian, gesturing towards the boys at the other side of the dormitory.

He knew he wasn't exactly being fair, but for the moment Murphy didn't care. He wasn't about to let some boring dude without hair separate him from his twin brother. It didn't work that way.

"Is there a problem here?" a third voice suddenly chimed in from behind them, causing everybody to turn their heads.

A tall guy was standing in the doorway, dark shadows casting over his face.

If the fearful expressions and rigid postures of the other boys in the dorm were anything to go by, O'Brian wasn't the only one recognizing the stranger.

"Good afternoon, Seymour", the bald professor hastily greeted, when the tall guy stepped out of the shadows, slowly approaching them.

The stranger had shoulder long, salt and pepper hair framing his chiseled face. His eyes were flashing black in the darkness of the room, gleaming with unabashed interest as he walked in a slow half circle around them, like a predator eying its food.

Instinctively Murphy stepped closer to his twin.

"I have never seen these two before. Are they new?", Seymour asked.

Murphy didn't like the way he talked about them. As if they were objects or acquisitions rather than human beings.

"They certainly are. I was just about to escort one of them to the third floor, headmaster."

So that's what this was all about?

Everyone was groveling before this asshole, because he was headmaster?

Well, tough luck. This Seymour guy had never dealt with a MacManus before.

"Actually, he was escorting no one", Murphy corrected.

Connor moved in from the side "Listen, we don't wanna cause any trouble but if there's any chance fer us ta stay together-"

"I don't remember asking for your opinion, boy", the headmaster cut him off sharply, eyes glimmering dangerously as he got right up into Connor's face.

"What's your name?"

Murphy tensed immediately, the air suddenly cracking with tension. All eyes were directed at Connor. Nobody dared to breathe.

"MacManus, Sir."

"Unless you are being talked to, MacManus, I suggest you shut the hell up and do what your professors tell you. And as for you-", he turned around to look at Murphy, "I want you to come to my office tomorrow after you are done with your classes. We don't tolerate insubordination like this in St. Clarice. As for now, you will pack your stuff and follow me to the dormitory on the third floor."

The brothers stared at each other in shocked silence. Connor was the first one to break it. "With all due respect, Sir-"

"The peculiar thing about sentences starting like that", Seymour interrupted, "is that they never end up being respectful."

With that he grabbed Murphy by the lapels of his threadbare coat and harshly pulled him towards the direction of the door.

Caught off guard, Murphy stumbled, barely able to catch himself on one of the metal bedframes.

"Murphy!" Connor instantly shot forward, reaching out for his falling twin, but O'Brian's firm hand on his shoulder held him in place.

"Leave it, boy. It's only temporary"

It was the last thing Murphy heard before he was dragged out of the dormitory.

The last thing he _saw_ was Connor's fearful gaze, eyes ablaze with worry.

Out in the hallway, Murphy was finally able to break free.

"Get yer fuckin' hands off'a me", he growled angrily, but the headmaster only pursed his lips, looking unimpressed.

"Tomorrow at five in my office. Don't be late.", he ordered and then nodded towards the narrow staircase behind them. "And don't even think about sneaking back down. Or your brother will join you for detention."

Murphy didn't try to sneak back down.

He didn't sleep that night, either.

**TBC...**

* * *

_Here we go... :P I really hope you guys liked it :) I am sort of making this up as I go, so if you like or dislike anything, please just tell me! I am always open for suggestions of any kind- like I said, nothing about this story is set in stone yet^^  
__I was thinking about switching back and forth between Murphy's and Connor's Pov during chapters... Also, I am not really sure what I should do with Seymour's character yet. He kind of developed a life of his own hahahaa... we will see how that goes.  
_  
_Reviews are more than welcome!_


	3. Chapter 3A

**C**hapter 3A

As soon as Mr. O'Brian had left the dormitory, Connor threw his duffle on the bed and shed his peacoat, ready to sneak up to the third floor to go find his brother.

He didn't liked the way Seymour had treated his twin, and he sure as fuck wasn't going to spend his first night separated from Murphy.

It wasn't so much the prospect of being alone that scared him, but rather the thought that his twin was all by himself in unfamiliar surroundings.

Especially when he knew how much Murphy hated it here.

But just as he was about to make his way over to the door, one of the other students stopped him in his tracks. "Where ya goin, MacManus?"

He was about their age, maybe a bit older and had short-cropped hair and dark, hooded eyes. Connor barely spared him a glance before shoving past him.

"What's it to you?", he threw back over his shoulder, hands already going for the doorknob.

"Ye really think that's such a great idea? Looks like ye're already on Seymour's shitlist."

"Well in that case, at least I got nothin' ta lose"

Connor really couldn't care less what these other boys thought about him but there was something in the way they had behaved in Seymour's presence that made him hesitant. Slowly he turned around and let his gaze wander to the other teenagers.

"What's got ye all so spooked anyway?" Connor wanted to know, deciding to test the waters and find out a little more about the school and its inhabitants before getting himself into real trouble. "There somethin' I should know about?"

One of the other teenage boys crossed his arms and snorted. "Apart from signing yer own death sentence if you head out there? Nuthin' much really..."

"Alright...", Connor sighed and let go of the doorknob, sending a silent apology to his brother before turning around to face the group of teenagers.

Given their current situation, Connor figured, they could use all the information they would get.

"Tell me everythin' you've got."

* * *

Murphy woke up around 5 in the morning, having fallen into an uneasy slumber brought on by exhaustion and weariness.

It took him a moment to get his bearings, blinking drowsily into the unfamiliar outlines of a darkened room when he noticed the small body nestled against his chest.

Suddenly wide awake, Murphy groaned, remembering the little boy who wouldn't stop crying the night before, after having been awoken by a viscious nightmare.

Apparently O'Brian and Seymour had forgotten to mention that dormitories were segregated by age, third floor being inhabited by boys 12 years and younger.

And now also by one very pissed off Murphy MacManus. Because, seriously? What the fuck were they thinking putting him up here with the wee ones?

As if noticing Murphy's aggravation the small body tensed against him, his even breathing abruptly changing its rhythm.

Murphy loosened his hold on the boy and scooted back on the mattress, giving him some time to become more aware of his surroundings.

The kid had been inconsolable last night, sniffling and sobbing until Murphy couldn't stand to watch it any all his efforts to comfort the little guy had failed, Murphy finally gave in and opened his arms invitingly.

Soon after, the poor kid had cried himself to sleep against Murphy's chest.

Now that the boy had calmed down and gotten some well-needed sleep, Murphy wasn't sure how much he remembered from last night.

"Ye okay?", he asked with a raspy voice, rubbing a hand over his face.

There was a moment of silence, before the boy sniffed and slowly looked up to face him. "Are y-you mad?", he whispered, words dripping with insecurity.

Murphy frowned, getting the feeling that he had to tread carefully with the boy if he wanted to get some answers out of him. He looked like a damn' puppy with these huge watery blue eyes and the freckled skin. Fucking adorable...

"Now why would I be mad at ya? Didn't give me any reason to, did ye?"

The boy shook his head.

"What's yer name, lad?"

There was another moment of hesitation and Murphy was beginning to wonder what could possible make a child so wary that it wouldn't even offer its own name.

When Connor and him were about the boy's age they would happily chatter with anyone. Even strangers, which come to think of, was probably not the cleverest idea. But then again, children were supposed to be stupidly trusting and naïve. They were supposed to be carefree and open-minded.

This boy was anything but and he was determined to find out why.

"t's okay if ye don't wanna tell me... I'm Murphy", he introduced himself, running his fingers through his messy hair. "Seems like we're bunk buddies now."

That caused the little boy to blush and fiddle nervously with the blanket. He bit his trembling lower lip as if to hold back another sob and Murphy could have slapped himself for saying the wrong thing.

"Hey, now. It's alright... when I was yer age I had bad dreams all the time. There's no reason to be embarrassed."

He wasn't lying. Murphy could still remember a time when he woke up in a cold sweat nearly every night, the horrible remnants of his latest nightmare still flashing before his eyes.

On nights like these, their Ma would find them curled up together, with his face buried in Connor's neck and Connor's arms slung protectively around him.  
Murphy smiled fondly at the memory.

"Me brother and I used to share a bed all the time..."

Seemingly consoled by the admission, the little boy drew a little closer and snuggled back into Murphy's pillow. "I'm Simon", he admitted in a shaky breath, barely audible over the mixed sound of soft snoring and rustling of bed sheets in the dormitory.

Murphy grinned at the small victory.

"Nice ta meet ya', Simon", he said and settled back against his own side of the pillow.

The first rays of sunlight were starting to lighten up the room and Murphy was relieved the night was finally over.

His stomach was rumbling from hunger after having to go to bed early and skipping dinner the night before. His head was hurting from lack of sleep and he was itching for a smoke.

But most of all, he just missed Connor.

Last night, before the whole nightmare fiasco happened, Murphy had waited up, expecting his brother to sneak into the room and come see him. After all, Connor had never heard Seymour's threat out in the hallway.

But his hopes had been crushed a little more with each passing hour until Murphy had finally swallowed his disappointment and resigned himself to spending the night lonely and miserable.

Connor had always been a little more independent than him. A little less clingy. And Murphy would never admit it to anyone, but it fucking _stung _to know that he apparently needed Connor more than his brother needed him.

With a heavy sigh and another glance at the now slumbering Simon, Murphy closed his eyes and tried a few more minutes of rest.

At least he had made a new friend, he thought sarcastically to himself before nodding off again. This Simon kid wasn't half bad.

* * *

It was easy to spot Murphy among the smaller kids when they entered the dining room for breakfast.

Connor had already reserved them both a seat at the far end of the dining table and was currently loading his plate with pancakes when he caught a glimpse of shaggy dark hair and fair skin from the corner of his eye.

"Ey, Murph!", he yelled to catch his brother's attention and then shook his head fondly when Murphy almost tripped over his own legs in his haste to get to Connor.

"I swear it's like watchin a fucking baby giraffe or somethin", Connor chuckled good-naturedly, laughing even harder when Murphy blushed at his own clumsiness.

"Fucking shut it, Connor", he mumbled without heat and started gnawing on his thumbnail. It was one of Murphy's nervous habits. He had started doing it when they were 8 years old and never stopped, no matter how much their Ma chewed him up for it.

Connor noticed it for a sign of insecurity and immediately ceased his laughter. "Ye sleep alright?", he asked as they headed over to their seats, settling down across from each other.

Murphy only shrugged his shoulders, but the dark circles beneath his eyes were answer enough.

Connor felt a pang of guilt for having decided to stay and talk to the other boys instead of visiting Murphy upstairs. It was stupid. He should have never let them distract him from his original intention to sneak up to see his brother.

Before he could apologize however, one of the teachers- a crotchety woman in her fifties started loudly explaining the registration process for classes.

It was an easy enough system.

After breakfast they had to head down to the largest auditorium and sign up for all eligible classes.

Courses like Maths and Statistics or English were obligatory while other languages and most of the science classes could be chosen and scheduled individually.

The brothers briefly met each others' gaze, silently agreeing to share the same courses, before resuming to eat their breakfast.

After Murphy had his third mug of black coffee and was starting to look less like a zombie and more like a regular human being again, Connor decided to breach a more somber topic. "So I got to know some of the other boys who're stayin' here ..."

Murphy's eyes narrowed almost imperceptibly.

"They were telling me some stuff about Seymour and the rest of the school board", Connor lowered his voice, eyes never wavering from Murphy's intent gaze.

"What stuff?", his brother asked, leaning closer.

"Apparently most of the teachers here are sticklers for old school teaching methods and wield a no-nonsense attitude. Anyone who falls out of line gets _disciplined_."

There was a spark of disgust in Murphy's eyes and Connor instantly knew they had both drawn the same conclusion from that piece of information.

"Disciplined _how_?", Murphy asked, probably just to make sure they were on the same page.

Connor scratched his neck. "Mostly punishments and detention. Mopping floors and cleaning toilets and shit... But I get the feeling there's more to it than they let on."

"Aye...", Murphy agreed, seemingly lost in thought and Connor himself was reminded of the night before and how quickly things had escalated between them and Seymour.

How the hell were they supposed to survive this school, when all they ever did was causing mischief?

"C'mon", Connor said, trying to lighten the mood as he got up from his seat. "We should get going if you want to get into that girly arts class of yers..."

Connor didn't have to turn around to know that Murphy was following, laughing at his brother's grumpy response.

* * *

Murphy had to admit that he was positively surprised by the broad variety of courses offered by Saint Clarice.

Apart from being able to apply to 8 foreign languages (most of which Conner and him had already taken up a few years ago) it was also possible to choose from a plethora of science courses and sports programs.

The brothers signed up for the exact same times and dates for all of their subjects, even though Murphy was a little more into languages and Connor was a genius in all things science.

After starting off with a predictibly boring English session with Mr O'Brian, Murphy was happy to show off his knowledge in Latin class, rendering their young female teacher speechless by his fluent declination and translation skills.

Connor followed suit, making a lasting impression of his own when he solved a difficult calc problem before their Maths teacher could even finish reading the assignment out loud to the students.

By the end of their school day, most of the other students had stopped looking shocked or impressed whenever one of them gave the right answer to one of the teacher's questions.

They had also assimilated quite well to narrow and deceptively similar looking hallways that lead them from one classroom to the other.

During one of the longer breaks they had, Connor had snatched Murphy by the arm and dragged him off to the yard at the backside of the school, never once explaining what he had in mind.

Murphy didn't question him.

They stopped under the weeping willow tree, hidden beneath the heavy boughs of greenery and Connor didn't waste time before pulling out two cigarettes from the jacket pocket of his dark blue school uniform.

Murphy cast a cursory glance back towards the school, before accepting the lightened cigarette and taking a deep drag.

"Jesus F. Christ...", he exhaled, feeling the immediate relieve that came with the rush of nicotine. "Aye", Connor agreed, leaning back against the tree trunk.

After a companionable silence, the lighter haired twin suddenly started snickering. "I think ye made quite the impression on our Latin teacher. Poor girl probably thought ye were possessed or somethin'"

"Ye're just jealous 'cause she got the hots fer me...", Murphy grinned and wriggled his eyebrows.

"Oh, aye... Fucking Casanova, arent'ya?" Connor joked easily, still laughing.

He was about to say something else, when the sudden rustling of leaves shut them both up.

The tree branches parted and Murphy's jaw dropped a little when he spotted dark trousers and dress shoes through the heavy boughs of the willow. Fuck!

They were getting caught!

Thinking quickly for them both, Connor snatched Murphy's cigarette from his lips and threw it into the pond along with his own.

Getting on with the program, Murphy hastily moved his hand through the air to get rid of the remaining wafts of smoke, just as the figure stepped through the veil of leaves and branches.

Freezing in shock, Murphy took a second to recognize the wide-eyed face in front of him, before letting out a relieved sigh. "Simon!", he exhaled slowly, already lamenting the irreversible damage done to their cigarettes.

"The fuck are ye doin' out here, huh? Don't ye have class or somethin?"

The little boy looked just as scared as he did yesterday, his posture rigid with obvious nervousness and growing discomfort.

"I-I'm sorry... I didn't k-know you'd be he-here...", Simon muttered, eyes filling with tears once again, and Murphy exchanged a helpless glance with buffled twin brother.

"Hey, it's okay, kiddo..." Connor tried to calm him down, inching closer from aside, but instead he caused the little boy more distress.

Simon's eyes widened at the gentle approach and the next second, the kid had attached himself to Murphy's side, clinging to him like a fucking octopus and hiding his face in his uniform jacket.

There was a flash of pain flickering in Connor's eyes at the kid's rejection and Murphy felt a little awkward as he slung his arms losely around the boy's shaking back.

Connor had always been particularly good with kids, always knowing what to say or do to make them happy.

Murphy tended to think it was because Connor was a big kid himself.

Even their younger cousins had always been more drawn to Connor than they ever had been to him. So Simon's reaction was more than a little surprising.

"Tell him to go away", Simon begged against his dress shirt, and Murphy threw Connor an apologetic look. "Shhh, calm down, Simon, okay? Connor's cool... he's me brother. The one I told ye about yesterday, remember? Now why don't ye tell us why ye're so shaken up, huh?"

Sceptically, Simon loosened the grip on his shirt and looked up to meet Connor's friendly gaze.

Murphy intently studied the kid's face and felt his heart skip a beat when he saw the angry-looking red mark on the boys collarbone.

It was barely visible beneath the boy's dress shirt, but from where Murphy was standing the angle was just right to notice it. He threw Connor another look before kneeling down to grasp Simon's chin and gently turn it to the side. "How did this happen? Somebody give you trouble?"

Murphy felt a burst of anger bubbling up inside of him at the mere thought of somebody hurting this sweet kid. Connor obviously shared the sentiment.

He dropped down next to Murphy, equally shocked by the angry bruising. "Did somebody hit you? If you tell us who it was, we can take care of them"

But Simon wouldn't have it. He disentangled himself from Murphy and gave them one last wide-eyed look before shaking his head and running off the way he came from.

The brothers remained kneeling on the ground in stunned silence.

"What in the Lord's name...?" Connor started, throwing Murphy a questioning look.

"He's sleeping on the cot next to me. Cried himself to sleep in my arms last night after having a nightmare. Something's off with tha lad fer fuckin' sure... but he won't tell me what it is."

"No shit..." Connor snorted, shaking his head as he got up again. He rubbed the dirt from his trousers and shot Murphy a meaningful look.

"Maybe you should go after him? He seemed to feel more comfortable in yer presence. Besides, the bruises didn't seem natural to me. Sure looks like someone hurt him purposefully..."

Murphy agreed. They had both been in enough fights and accidents during their childhood to know the difference between a bruise from a bad fall or a bruise resulting from violence or fighting.

Murphy thought about it for a second, before following Connor's suggestion.

"I'll see what I can do. See you after detention?" Murphy asked, remembering Seymour's punishment. Connor pulled a grimace.

"Aye,... Listen, I don't trust the guy, Murph. Watch yer back in his presence? Don't let him get away with anythin' weird, alright?"

Murphy snickered and waved Connor off, following Simon's trail back towards the school building.

"Fucking mother hen...", he murmured to himself with a small smile on his face. Twin or not- Murphy was almost 16. He could take care of himself.

**TBC...**

* * *

_Hey guys! First of all, sorry for taking soo long to update. I got caught up with my bachelor thesis and my last exams for my last semester. Thankfully I managed to complete my study program (I have my degree now! :D Yayy), which means I have much more time to continue writing this story! :D :D :D  
I split the 3rd chapter up into 2 parts, and this is only the first one. I promise, the 2nd part will follow shortly! ;)  
Hope y'all still like my work. I was kind of in a rush, writing this first part of the chapter, so I am really not sure if it turned out right.  
As always REVIEWS would make me super happyyy :D please take a sec to leave a few words, if you liked the story so far or if you have suggestions for how it should continue...  
Thanks for sticking around and being patient with me 3_


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